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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204571">have mercy, baby on a poor girl like me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikubean/pseuds/rikubean'>rikubean</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Worst Witch (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:07:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204571</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikubean/pseuds/rikubean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hecate decides to indulge in a one night dalliance, she doesn't expect to later find the object of her night of passion to be her new deputy headmistress.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ada Cackle/Hecate Hardbroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hackle Remix Challenge 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>have mercy, baby on a poor girl like me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopeiasara/gifts">cassiopeiasara</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593822">Woo Me Until the Sun Comes Up (and say you love me)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopeiasara/pseuds/cassiopeiasara">cassiopeiasara</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Dialogue lifted entirely from the original work!</p><p>Title comes from "Say You Love Me" by Fleetwood Mac.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The restless feeling crawling beneath her skin is familiar to Hecate. She sighs as she tucks the last of her books into her suitcase and chews on her lip. Her research sabbatical doesn't begin for another two days. She can go to Tabitha's and see about finding a witch to soothe her itch tonight, then the allure of testing different botanical gardens for their patency as potions ingredients should keep her satisfied for a time. </p><p>Hecate sighs once more and glances around the hotel room. She's meant to be resting before leaving, the rather difficult end to her last teaching post having drained her more than she'll admit. She can feel Morgana's stare from across the room. It's only one night. She's an attractive witch; surely she can find someone willing to spend one night with her. </p><p>She spares one glance towards the mirror before deciding her high collared black dress adequate enough. Her hands hover around her bun just a moment before she inserts several more pins to hold it in place instead. No point in making herself feel even more ridiculous than she already did. </p><p>The atmosphere in Tabitha’s makes Hecate’s skin crawl in a very different way. She hates what the nonmagical folk try and pass off as music. Her nose wrinkles in distaste before she can school her expression back to neutral. She has one goal in mind. It shouldn’t be too difficult. </p><p>Her resolve lasts through one drink in the company of several extraordinarily vapid witches, giggling and hiccupping their way through explaining what they assured was a hilarious mishap but which Hecate felt was a gross misappropriation of witchcraft as well as an alarming lack of grasp on the very basics of the craft. Hecate pinches the bridge of her nose and excuses herself back to the bar, mumbling to herself. “One would think, given the current state of the Craft, one would be more concerned over the inability to perform a rudimentary spell.” </p><p>“There isn’t enough respect for solid education," someone agrees with her. Hecate starts slightly and peers at the woman several stools over, giving a slow nod in recognition. The witch sits alone, wearing a deep sapphire dress that flatters her blue eyes nicely, and looks for all the world like she expects Hectate to dismiss her outright. </p><p>Intrigued, Hecate instead grabs her drink and slides closer. "You are correct, of course, Miss…?" </p><p>…</p><p>Hecate groans as the light hitting her eyelids becomes unavoidable. She shifts and draws her arm tighter around the soft body next to her, nuzzling her face into the lingering scent of perfume under her nose. Her body thrums with a pleasant ache, and she's just about to wake Adelaide to ask if she would like to order breakfast in bed when she realizes the other witch has gone. Heacte sits up to find she had instead wrapped herself around the pillows left behind on the other side of the bed. </p><p>She tries not to be sad about that, as she had been intending on one night, but the more they'd talked, the more she wanted… well, it doesn't matter now that Adelaide has gone without so much as a goodbye. Hecate nods once and snaps her fingers to dress herself, hiding all evidence of the previous evening behind a high collar and her usual stern attitude. Relationships are messy, and no matter how pleasurable one evening had been, she has no guarantee that anything further would remain positive. </p><p>Morgana gives her a plaintive mew from the bed. Hecate rolls her eyes and summons a can of tuna. At least one of them would get the breakfast they wanted this morning. She calls up a cup of coffee for herself, sits on the edge of the bed, and tries not to think about the things she’d dared to want in the moments before she fell asleep. </p><p>The semester traveling does her well. Hecate feels freer to be herself now that none of her peers are nearby to continually place expectations on her beyond the quality of her work. I’ve been looking for a change. The honest admission to a stranger had surprised her as much then as it did now, haunting her all this time later. Perhaps teaching is not her true vocation, but, oh, how she adores to see the young pupils fully realize their power and respect the craft. </p><p>If only she could find an academy that fit. </p><p>The stack of pedagogical texts in the bottom of her bag makes her think of sparkling blue eyes and voracious conversation, so long ago now. Hecae chides herself and shakes her head to banish the thought. One night with one witch - albeit a beautiful, whip smart, and captivating one - should not have left such a lasting impression. Besides, Hecate had no way of knowing how things could have gone if Adelaide had stayed. </p><p>Out of habit more than any true ambition, she checks her maglet for any advertisements for open potions mistress positions. She could return to her previous position, as they hadn’t actually terminated her, but the end of term still left a bad taste in her mouth. Hecate pauses as she reads a posting for Cackle's Academy. The name rings familiar, and it takes only a moment to recall it was the alma mater of Locasta Addams. An academy that can turn out one of the most impressive potions scholars Hecate had ever had the pleasure to discover had to have more promise than any of her previous positions. </p><p>Hecate fills an answer to the advertisement before she can second guess herself. She taps her maglet much more decisively than she feels and sets it aside. The worst that can happen is no response at all, so there’s no point in dwelling on it for the time being. </p><p>A response from one Mrs. Alma Cackle, headmistress, fills her with anticipation. Hecate tries not to get excited, truly, but she had read more about Cackles Academy and everything new she learned made the position sound much more appealing than the last. The staff rarely left the grounds, a desire of hers that had caused an unnecessary fuss at her first posting, and there were many more renowned scholars among their alma mater. </p><p>Her meeting with Alma goes so swimmingly Hecate secures the position from the first interview on her merit alone. She’s trying not to let Mrs Cackle see how pleased she is when a voice from behind sends a shiver straight down her spine. </p><p>“Do you really think we’ll need to resupply the entirety of the Year Five desks?”</p><p>Hecate stands as Mrs Cackle does, trying not to falter as she takes in the sight of the woman she had been trying not to think about for nearly a year. She schools her expression as quickly as she can so she can’t give herself away. Adelaide may not remember her at all, so there’s no sense in jeopardizing the posting just moments ago she had been tamping down her excitement about. </p><p>“Ada, I’d like you to meet our new potions mistress, Hecate Hardbroom.” </p><p>“Well met, Miss Hardbroom.”</p><p>Hecate raises her hand to her forehead. “Well met, Miss Cackle.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For Cass! It was so hard to pick which of your fics to remix so I eventually settled on adding the beginning of one of my favorites from Hecate's pov. I hope you enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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